On tap at Toronado. I passed this up at O'Brien's and Alpine so I made sure I ticked it before I left San Diego. Nice yellow-orange, white head, huge lace. Smells quite hoppy but all fruits. The flavor is also very fruity hops, not much bitterness if at all and a strange malt background that I could not lay a finger on. Went down very quickly and while it is very hoppy it does not measure up to Alpine's IPA's. Solid beer.

A: Pours a golden, peach-colored body with an off-white head that leaves some tendrils of lace.

S: This has a grassy, leafy, citrusy hop nose that is a departure from the usually bright citrus pith aromas of West Coast pale ales. The malt is restrained and lends a bready accent to the beer.

T: Tuatara evokes a natural comparison to Nelson, being that both have NZ hops, but this one doesn't shine as brightly as the latter. I notice the bready malt in the background, and the citrus is weak in favor of grassy, leafy flavors; the overall combination makes for a drinkable, but not standout, profile. I like it but find myself reflecting on how much better most of Alpine's other beers are. That being said, a poor showing for Alpine is still an excellent showing against just about anyone else.

M: Light-bodied; the beer is crisp and clean. No lingering bitterness or any sort of sticky aftertaste. Each sip is as fresh as the one before it.

O: I'm not completely blown away by the beer, but I enjoy it and find the growler diminishing rapidly before my eyes. I love the flavor to ABV quotient; I wish I could find a comparably tasty, light beer like this closer to home. That's a big selling point for me.